


Omega and the Garden of Eden

by GhostFan77



Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Churches & Cathedrals, Developing Relationship, F/M, Fanart, Fanart Collaboration, First Kiss, First Time, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Ghoul Sex, Ghouls, Internal Conflict, Kissing, Loss of Virginity, Male-Female Friendship, Nuns, Religious Conflict, Sex, Slow Build, Slow-ish burn, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Virginity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-19 14:59:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20659103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostFan77/pseuds/GhostFan77
Summary: A devoted nun is tempted to stray from her faith and devotion to God when she encounters a handsome blue-eyed guitarist who not only plays for a Satanic rock band, but was summoned from hell himself.Written for the Ghost BC 2019 Big Bang event; artwork by the amazing of-devils-and-drawings





	1. The Storm

_ September 27, 2015_

She looked across the small candlelit room at the man standing by the window, the man who shouldn’t be here, the man she shouldn’t be with, and wondered how it came to this. He brought the lit cigarette that he held between his fingers to his lips and inhaled before exhaling the smoke out the open window moments later. The candlelight glinted off the wide silver ring he wore on his ring finger as his hand moved. He was being so patient with her and had been from the beginning, yet her mind filled with doubt about his motives, that she was just another conquest to him. She heard him sigh as he turned to face her. “You know I can hear your thoughts,” he gently reminded her, and she nodded. “And you know that that’s not what you are to me.” She averted his gaze, suddenly ashamed that she would think as such.

The candlelight flickered as a gust of wind whipped through the room from the storm that raged outside; the candle by the window blew out. Heavy raindrops beat against the side of the convent, almost drowning out the sound of the thunder that boomed above. A white glow filled the room with each flash of lightning.

“Do you want me to leave?” he calmly asked, and her eyes snapped up to meet his. “No!” She was quick to respond, and her cheeks burned, though she didn’t quite know why. She was so inexperienced with affairs of the heart and even less so with carnal pleasures; her complete devotion had always been to another, but He had never made her feel the way he did, even with just a simple glance. 

Sister Eden’s faithfulness to God had never wavered; never, not even once, had she considered the possibility that somebody could tempt her to stray from her faith, that there could be more out there for her, that she might want more for herself, that somebody might actually want her. And yet, here they were. 

His blue eyes looked so dark in the dimly-lit room, yet she could see how they smoldered. The room was cool, not just because of the open window, but also because of the old stone walls, yet her body was burning, and she could feel a flush creeping up her chest and neck. Even more alarming was the foreign feeling between her legs; was this what desire felt like? 

He flicked the cigarette out the window after one final drag, allowing the rain to extinguish it in lieu of snuffing it out. The man closed the window halfway after he had rid his lungs of the smoke; he then slowly crossed the small room and stood before her. He gestured to the empty spot on the bed next to her. “May I?” She looked up at him from where she rigidly sat on the side of her bed. She gave him a quick nod, and he sat beside her, slightly facing her profile, careful to leave a respectful distance. 

They sat in silence for several moments. He hesitated before he cautiously reached for her hand; it was but a simple touch, yet it was electrifying, sending jolts through her body that led to one place, and one place only. She allowed him to take her hand in his, and he slowly brought it to his lips. Her eyes grew wide as she watched him softly kiss its back. He then lowered their hands to the space between them on the bed, but continued to hold on. She focused on how his calloused thumb ran over her knuckles, how it felt against her soft and delicate skin. 

Her eyes moved to his when she heard him clear his throat. “You have to tell me what you want, Eden,” he murmured to her. She paused a moment before answering. “But…but you know what I want,” she protested, her cheeks once again burning up. He softly chuckled. “Indeed, I do,” he replied with a small smile. “But I need you to tell me, and I need your explicit consent, min älskling.” He shifted on the bed, turning to face her more, with his left leg bent at the knee on the bed, his other leg still off the side. He continued to hold her hand, and it was now resting on his thigh. “You are perfect, and you are pure, and you want me to taint that purity. I cannot and will not without you directing me to do so.” 

Eden’s thin brows furrowed as she nodded. She had never before expressed her desires, and she had never considered allowing another to deflower her as she was now. They were on opposite sides of the biblical spectrum, yet here they were; she served the Creator of heaven, earth, and all creatures that inhabited the planet, while he served her Creator’s most infamous fallen angel. And not only was he a devout follower of the Morning Star, he had been summoned from hell himself. 

The Quintessence Ghoul had not led her to temptation, but was a willing accomplice. He had lain himself bare to her, halfway expecting her to recoil in horror after he had revealed his true nature to her, yet it had only fueled her curiosity and allowed him to be completely transparent with her, allowing them to form a friendship that brought them to the brink they found themselves on. Omega felt like he was bringing about an angel’s fall from grace; he loved how pure and innocent she was, and he was being asked to destroy both. As conflicted as he was, his desire for her was overwhelming. He could smell her arousal, and it was maddening. Even so, he restrained himself, his principles overruling all else. However, all Eden had to do was say the word, and she would be his for the taking. 

They gazed at each other in silence, although her mind was anything but. He could hear the conflict her feelings for him produced, and she reminded him of a river with how its calm surface concealed churning currents below. The Quintessence Ghoul closed his eyes and focused on her inner turmoil, using the powers of his element, the Aether, to temper the discord. 

He opened his eyes when he heard her voice. “How do you do that?” Eden quietly asked, although she already knew the answer. “Just one of the benefits of my element,” he replied with a soft smile. “Like when I healed your ankle that one time…” A small giggle escaped her lips. It was so rare to hear her laugh, but it was such a sweet sound when she did.

Omega recalled how—barely a month ago—he had tried kissing her for the first time; she ran from him, twisting her ankle and falling in the process. He was able to heal in an hour what would’ve take a week or two to heal on its own, thereby undoing the damage for which he felt responsible. “Do you feel better now?” he queried even though he too already knew the answer; she nodded. 

Outside, the storm continued to rage, but for now, Eden’s inner storm had been quelled.


	2. The Kiss

_Early September, 2015_

Omega sighed as he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He had dreamt of her last night, his last love that he had lost nearly a century ago. Human lives were so fleeting to a nearly immortal creature like himself. He had lived through so many centuries and would live through so many more. He’d known love and was fortunate to have experienced it a handful of times. It was excruciating to watch his partners grow old while he remained the same, and the pain was nearly unbearable each time they left the mortal realm. He was left with so many memories, yet he was not left alone as each relationship had yielded several children, the majority of which had joined the ministry and had returned to the abbey with him after their mother’s death. While they were technically half human, his ghoulish DNA was dominant and they took on ghoulish characteristics and powers as such, including the incredibly long lifespan. 

On this particular morning, he felt a familiar pang in his chest: love. Not for she whom he had dreamt the previous night, but for another: Sister Eden. A woman he had met more than a year prior while his band was on tour. A woman thousands of miles away. A woman whose devotion to another should preclude any potential relationship he wished to have with her. Yet that didn’t appear to be the case, and he was hopeful that if he gave her enough time, Eden would be able to reconcile her inner strife and leave her current life behind to spend the rest of her days with him. 

He was lulled from his thoughts when the other inhabitant of his bed stirred. “Omega,” the pretty red-haired Sister of Sin mumbled. “What time is it?” The Quintessence Ghoul sighed as he looked at his watch. “It’s half past nine,” he replied. “Shit!” she exclaimed as she sat straight up. “Why didn’t you wake me? I’m late for class!” He shrugged as she threw the covers back and hopped out of bed. “Because you didn’t ask me to,” he said matter-of-factly, earning a sharp glare from the woman who paused for a moment as she gathered her clothes that had been haphazardly tossed about the room the night before. He propped himself up on his elbows and watched as she dressed herself. “You’re such an asshole sometimes,” she chided him, earning a sigh and an eye roll from the ghoul. He collapsed back against his pillows and waited in silence for her to finish dressing and leave, feeling guilty that he had indulged himself with his occasional lover when he yearned for another. 

A few minutes later, she left his quarters, but not before shooting another angry glare his way and doing her best to slam the heavy wood door shut behind her, earning a soft chuckle from Omega. He laid in bed for another half hour before getting up to take a shower. 

The Quintessence Ghoul stood under the showerhead, allowing the hot water to cascade down his body as he thought about her. He wondered if Eden was asleep in her room, or if she was praying in the chapel as she often did when her insomnia got the best of her. Despite the distance between them, Omega visited often since he was able to teleport, one of the benefits of being an Aether ghoul. 

Once he felt sufficiently clean, he turned off the water and slid the glass shower door open before reaching for the towel that hung from a hook on the wall. He dried his upper body and allowed the towel to absorb some of the excess water from his hair before stepping out of the shower onto the rug in front of the door to dry his lower body. He then wrapped the towel around his waist and took a few steps forward so he could brush his teeth and hair. Afterwards, he opened the door and walked through his living room and back into his bedroom so he could get dressed. 

Omega threw on a white t-shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans that had seen better days as evidenced by the holes in the knees, capping off the outfit with a pair of black slip-on house shoes. Eden was still on his mind, their last visit more than a week prior still weighing heavily on him; he closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was nearly four thousand miles from the abbey in her room at the convent. 

The small room was empty. He grabbed the spare blanket she kept at the end of her bed and teleported himself to the chapel. Omega stood quietly in the shadows next to a column near the front of the nave; a smile played upon his lips when he saw her sitting a few rows up with her head bowed in prayer. After a few minutes, it was like Eden sensed she was no longer alone. She raised her head and looked in the Quintessence Ghoul’s direction, her green eyes narrowing a bit as she tried to catch a glimpse of her company. “Omega…?” 

He stepped out from the shadows. “I thought I might find you down here,” he said in a hushed voice as he moved towards her. She was dressed modestly in a white long-sleeved cotton nightgown that was currently covered by a dark blue robe. She pulled together the top of her robe even though no skin was showing. “Omega, I wasn’t expecting you,” Eden gasped. It had been more than a week since they had last seen each other, and she feared he might not return after the events of his last visit. He soon stood next to her, and she noticed her blanket in his hands, which he offered to her. She nodded and allowed him to wrap it around her shoulders. There always seemed to be a chill in the air in the chapel, no matter the season. 

Once the blanket was in place, the Quintessence Ghoul took a seat next to Eden. “How’s your ankle?” he murmured to her, already knowing the answer as he had healed it himself. Even in the dimly-lit room, he could see her cheeks turn pink as she recalled what had transpired. “Eden, about last time-“ 

“You tried to kiss me,” she whispered sharply. “Why did you do that?” He sighed deeply as his eyes moved to the stained glass windows portraying the life events of Jesus Christ that decorated the chancel. “I like you, Eden,” he said softly. “And I think you like me too.” She looked at him incredulously before pursing her lips and looking away, shaking her head as she did so. “You know about the vows I’ve taken, Omega,” she scolded him. “Yes, how could I forget? Poverty, chastity, and obedience. But maybe your life is meant for more than that, Eden,” he calmly responded, turning his head to look at her. “Have you ever thought about that?” 

Eden huffed out a mirthless laugh. “You’re unbelievable, you know that?” she hissed as she rose to her feet and quickly made her way to the end of the row before taking off, running towards the exit at the back of the north transept that led to the cloister connecting the main church to the convent.

The Quintessence Ghoul threw his head back in frustration. “Fuck…” he growled to nobody in particular, vexed at how their conversation had so quickly gone awry. “Eden!” he called after her as he followed, catching up to her when they were halfway through the covered walkway. “Would you please talk to me?” he pled as she spun around to face him. “Why, Omega?” she brayed. “So you can complicate my life more?” 

“Yes!” he exclaimed as he gently grabbed her shoulders and backed her against the façade of the building. “Because that’s what love is, Eden. It’s complicated. It’s inconvenient. It’s messy. But it’s worth it if you give it a chance.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “What are you talking about?” she asked in sharp tone. “Are you insinuating that _this_ is love?” 

“Yes!” he again exclaimed. “I know how you feel about me, E—“ 

“Stay out of my head, Omega!” she interjected with a look of disbelief on her face. “I can’t, Eden!” he animatedly replied, his eyebrows shooting up his forehead. “Not when your thoughts are almost as clear as my own, and not when…not when I feel the same way about you.” 

She pursed her lips as she defiantly glared up at him. Her expression softened for a moment when his fingertips gently ran down the side of her face. “Let me kiss you once, Eden,” he begged. “I can give you so much more than He can.” 

“But I don’t _want_ more, Omega!” she snapped through clenched teeth, her expression instantly hardening again. “Are you so sure of that?” he retorted. “Has _He_ ever kissed you, Eden? Has _He_ ever touched you? Has _He_ ever made love to you, brought you to orgasm? Because I can do all of that, and so much more, Eden.” He licked his lips as he gazed down at her. She looked ethereal, almost angelic, in the moonlight, and it nearly took his breath away. The way she blushed made her all that more enticing. 

“Just one kiss, Eden,” he whispered to her. “Please? If you don’t like it, I’ll never ask again. But if you do, I hope you’ll consider more. We’ll go as slow as you need to, min älskling.” He licked his lips again as his eyes moved between Eden’s eyes and lips. Her full lips looked so soft and inviting, like they were just begging to be kissed. 

She bit her bottom lip as she contemplated, and Omega felt his dick twitch in need; he’d most certainly have business to attend to when he returned to the abbey. “But…but I don’t know how,” Eden shyly admitted as her blush intensified, and he softly chuckled. “It’s okay, Eden,” he murmured to her. “I do, so just follow my lead.” The Quintessence Ghoul gave her a few moments to think it over before she finally nodded her consent. 

His hands moved to her face; her eyes widened and her pulse increased substantially, and he allowed her enough time to relax into his touch before he proceeded. Omega brushed his nose lightly against hers before ghosting her lips with his. “You alright so far, Eden?” he whispered to her, and while she resembled a deer caught in the headlights, she nodded. “Please just do it before I ch-“ 

He already knew what she was going to say, to kiss her before she changed her mind, so he did just that. Omega pressed his lips gently against hers, kissing her lightly, sweetly. He closed his eyes and savored the moment, acutely aware that their first kiss could also be their last; he was hopeful that it wouldn’t be. 

The Quintessence Ghoul held back from giving Eden the kiss that he truly wanted to, and his control nearly faltered when he heard the slightest whimper escape her lips. At some point, her hands made it to his chest, and she pushed against him after they had been kissing for almost a half minute. He pulled back, and the kiss came to an end. Her hands flew to her mouth, covering it as she processed what she had just done. She slid away from him, keeping her back against the wall. “I…I need to go,” she mumbled from behind her fingers, and he nodded in understanding. He’d already pushed her further than intended, and he knew it was best to give her some space. 

Eden finally pulled herself from the wall and continued down the cloister. She stopped for a moment, and without turning around to face him, she spoke. “Please don’t stay away for so long this time, Omega,” she began. “Calligraphy class starts up again in a few nights.”

The Quintessence Ghoul smiled to himself. _Calligraphy class_. He had signed himself up for Eden’s calligraphy class several months prior in an attempt to spend more time with her. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Eden,” he replied, making a mental note to visit the church’s website to register for the class. “I’ll see you soon.” 

She nodded once. “Yes, see you soon.” 

And with that, Eden walked the remaining distance of the cloister and disappeared into the convent.


	3. The Tour

_May 17-18, 2014_

Ghost was in New York City for their last ritual of the year on North American soil. After tonight, the band wouldn’t be performing again for a week and a half, giving Papa Emeritus II and his ghouls some much needed time off. Omega and Alpha, the band’s rhythm and lead guitarists, respectively, planned to stay in the city for a few extra days to do some sight-seeing. The Quintessence Ghoul had spotted a church several months before that he wanted to visit; while he was a devout member of the Emeritus Church of Satanism, he had an appreciation for the architecture of houses of worship of _any_ faith. This particular church and its medieval French Gothic style stood out to the Aether ghoul, and he’d been looking forward to checking it out since they had driven passed it the previous July. 

It was Sunday, and after a visit to the church’s website, Omega found that a church tour was held at the conclusion of their eleven o’clock service, which usually wrapped up shortly after twelve noon. Not wanting to be late, the guitarists hailed a taxi and left their hotel around eleven thirty, reaching their destination only fifteen minutes later. They stood outside of the front gates, each smoking a cigarette before entering. The Quintessence Ghoul admired the brick structure with its beautiful stained windows and massive bell tower that reached high into the clear blue sky above. 

Omega looked at his watch and saw that it was five minutes to noon. The guitarists snuffed out their cigarettes, opened the gate, and walked up the bench-lined sidewalk to the massive, richly ornamented front doors. The doorway was flanked with carved statues of disciples on both sides, with a statue of Jesus Christ in the central post between the doors. Alpha opened the door and gestured for the other ghoul to enter. “After you,” he said with a mock bow, earning an eye roll from Omega.

The Quintessence Ghoul entered the building, and Alpha followed. The door swung shut behind them as they walked down the center aisle of the nave. The service appeared to be approaching its end, so the Aether and Fire ghouls quickly found a couple of open seats a few aisles from the back, and waited. Omega’s eyes scanned the massive interior of the church, which looked to be made of brownstone. The stained glass windows were numerous and beautiful, and they complemented the dark stained oak open vaulted ceiling. Music from the pipe organ, which appeared to be in the south transept, signaled the end of the service, and parishioners rose from their seats and started to file from the church in an orderly fashion. 

Omega noticed a small group gathering at the entry of the north transept, so he and Alpha headed in that direction. They soon joined about nine other people, not including the pretty young Sister that apparently would be leading the tour. “Are you here for the tour?” she asked as her green eyes met Omega’s, and he nodded in response. “Okay, we’ll wait a couple more minutes to see if anybody else will be joining us, and then the tour will begin,” she informed him and the rest of the group. The Quintessence Ghoul looked at Alpha, who was standing to his left. The Fire ghoul was staring at the Sister in disbelief, and Omega jabbed him in the ribs. “It’s not polite to stare, Alpha,” he quietly chided him.

Alpha grimaced as he rubbed his ribs; he then leaned towards Omega. “Holy fuck, Megs,” he whispered. “She’s fucking hot!” Omega hushed him as a few heads turned in their direction; Alpha might’ve been whispering, but he did not go unheard. Thankfully, the pretty Sister did not appear to take notice. 

Omega shushed his brother ghoul, who was oblivious to the looks prompted by his comment. “What?” he asked. “Just…you need to be quiet, Alpha. _Please_,” the Quintessence Ghoul pleaded. “Yes, she’s very lovely—“ 

“Do you think she’s a virgin?” Alpha whispered excitedly. “Holy fuck, I bet she is, Megs. Should we see who can pop her cherry first?” He stuck his tongue out and waggled his eyebrows as Omega shook his head. The Fire ghoul rolled his eyes. “Well, suit yourself. I’m going to try.” 

The tour began moments later, and the young Sister introduced herself as Sister Eden. “Holy fuck, Megs!” Alpha again whispered excitedly to Omega. “Eden? As in the Garden of Eden? Fuck me!” 

Sister Eden encouraged the group to ask questions during the tour, and Alpha was quick to raise his hand. “Yes, sir?” she said with raised eyebrows. “How old are you, Sister Eden?” the Fire ghoul inquired to the sound of a few polite chuckles from those in the group. “It’s just that…you seem considerably younger than the other Sisters I’ve seen around your church,” he explained. 

The slightest of smiles played upon her lips. “Yes, you would be correct, sir,” she replied. “I’m the youngest Sister here by at least twenty years.” 

“Making you how old…?” Alpha pressed, and she politely shook her head. “Not that it matters, but I’m 26,” she answered. “Does that answer your question?” The Fire ghoul nodded. “Very good, now let’s contin—“ Sister Eden tried to suggest as Alpha’s hand once again shot in the air. “Yes?” she patiently asked. 

“How did you get to be a Sister, Sister Eden?” he asked, and the slightest of smiles once again played upon her lips. “We all have our calling, as you can imagine,” she explained. “For me, I was raised by the church after being orphaned by my parents, and I never had any doubt that I wanted to do anything else with my life.” 

Alpha had plenty more questions to ask, but Omega already looked like he wanted to kill him. Even though he had a million other questions to ask Sister Eden, the lead guitarist didn’t quite feel like further invoking the ire of the Quintessence Ghoul since they were meant to be sight-seeing together for the next couple of days. And with that, the tour was finally able to get officially underway. Sister Eden led the group around the church, going into great detail about the church’s history and architecture, how construction began in 1897 with the church being consecrated in 1899. A German family had donated the land as a memorial to their patriarch, and they had also bore the cost of designing and constructing the church complex. The seventeen stained glass windows in the church were memorials to various members of the same family, and Eden rattled off not only details of the scenes depicted in each window, but also the family members to which they were memorials. 

The Quintessence Ghoul was highly impressed with her level of knowledge, and he found himself enamored with the pretty young Sister. As the tour approached its end, Omega racked his brain for questions to ask, not wanting his time with Eden to come to an end. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was something about her. Sure, she was naturally beautiful with her green eyes and flawless pale skin, unhindered and unaccentuated by cosmetics, but it was more than that. She seemed intelligent and well-spoken and wise beyond her years. She was pure, untainted by the world; angelic. She came across as so serious, how she smiled without really smiling, and laughed without really laughing, but was sweet and friendly at the same time. Eden was acquainted with everybody in the tour group except for Alpha and Omega, and they all seemed to be very fond of her. 

The tour concluded outside in front of the church where Sister Eden pointed out all of the disciples that were carved into the arch surrounding the doorway, in addition to a few final details about the bell tower and the bricks that were used for the exterior. Afterwards, she fielded more questions from the group. A middle-aged woman asked Eden about her calligraphy class, who replied that no classes would be held over the summer, but would resume again in the fall; she, however, was happy to provide private lessons and encouraged the woman to send her an email so they could work something out. A young gay couple asked Eden about volunteering opportunities, and the pretty Sister urged them to visit the church’s website for all available opportunities. 

Omega contemplated the possible ways that might give him the chance to spend time with Sister Eden and get to know her, maybe even strike up a friendship with her. Because who ever said that angels and demons couldn’t be friends?


	4. The Truth

_May 19, 2014_

The next morning, the Quintessence Ghoul had left the hotel before Alpha had even awoken. He returned to the church, hoping to see Eden again. Omega had decided against trying to speak with her the previous day with Alpha in tow, not wanting the rambunctious and inappropriate Fire ghoul to be a hindrance in his attempt to befriend Sister Eden. 

He arrived as the morning prayer service was coming to an end, and only had to enter the front gates before he saw the pretty young Sister. She was on the ground on her knees, tending to the flowers in front of the church that she had planted a few weeks prior. Dressed in a plain white button up tunic with the sleeves rolled and a long black skirt, her veil was off, and her strawberry-blonde hair was pulled back in a tight bun. Omega watched as she wiped a few beads of sweat from her forehead with her forearm, and he didn’t realize he had been staring until he heard her speaking to him, suddenly pulling him back to reality from wherever he had drifted off to. “I’m sorry, what…?” he asked with a slightly-confused look on his face. 

Sister Eden looked up at the Quintessence Ghoul from where she knelt, the corners of her mouth perking up ever so slightly. “I said, back so soon?” He softly chuckled. “Yes, I…I, uh…I enjoyed your tour yesterday, and I just wanted to thank you again, Sister Eden,” he managed to say with a sheepish grin. “I’m glad you enjoyed it,” she replied. “I hadn’t seen you around here before. Are you new to the area, or just passing through?” 

“Just passing through, unfortunately,” Omega sighed. “I noticed your church the last time I was in town though, and I’ve been wanting to check it out since. The architecture really caught my attention. It kind-of reminds me of my church back home.” 

Eden’s eyebrows rose, and she looked genuinely interested. “Oh, where are you from? I’m picking up a bit of an accent that sounds…” She trailed off as she contemplated her words for a moment. “…Scandinavian, perhaps?” 

“I’m from Sweden, actually,” he replied, impressed that she was able to narrow his accent down to the correct region; the Quintessence Ghoul couldn’t help but smile down at her as they gazed at each other. The eye contact proved to be too much for Omega, and he had to look away. He grimaced as he looked down the sidewalk at the cars driving by on the street that ran in front of the church. 

“Would you like to help me…?” He heard her voice, and his head turned back in her direction, a smile again returning to his lips. “I mean, if you don’t have anything else going on. I could use another set of hands,” she explained, and he nodded. “I’d be happy to help you, Sister Eden,” Omega replied. “Where do you want me?” 

Eden patted the ground next to her, and the Quintessence Ghoul’s heart fluttered at the prospect of being so close to the young woman. “Right here,” she instructed with the hint of a smile. “And then you can tell me about Sweden, your church, and yourself as we work.” 

Omega slipped his wide silver rings off his fingers and pocketed them before he joined Eden on the ground in front of the flowers. “I’m sorry, but I just realized that I don’t recall catching your name yesterday,” she admitted, to which he softly chuckled. “I’m Omega,” he said as he took her outstretched hand to shake it. “Just Omega?” she asked, and he nodded. “Just Omega,” he replied. 

“Well, it’s nice to officially meet you, Omega,” she said as their eyes locked once again. Something passed between the two as they shook hands; a spark of sorts, a precursor to an ignition. Both felt it on a subconscious level but neither would be able to process it until later. 

Their moment was interrupted by the end of the morning prayer service as parishioners shuffled out of the church and onto the sidewalk, several of whom stopped to say their good-byes to Sister Eden. The Quintessence Ghoul turned his attention to the flowers until the last person had left. Afterwards, Eden apologized for the distraction. “It’s alright, Sister Eden,” he replied with a small smile. “It seems like they’re really fond of you here.” Even in the short time they had been acquainted, Omega could see why. 

“And I of them, Omega,” she said softly. “I’ve spent my whole life here, and several of our congregation members have known me since before I could even walk.” A ghost of a smile flashed across Eden’s face. 

They worked in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before either spoke again. “Will you tell me about your church, Omega?” she sweetly asked. “I’d really like to hear about it.”

He cleared his throat, buying himself a few seconds so he could think out his response. How much did he want to reveal to her today? That he’s a Satanist? That he’s not exactly human? He wanted to be truthful with her and not befriend her under any false pretenses, but the Quintessence Ghoul also didn’t want to scare her away. He was, after all, a good and honest ghoul. “Well, I’ve spent a large portion of my life there, and—“ 

“Oh, are you a man of the cloth, Omega?” she interjected with a curious look on her face, and he softly chuckled as he shook his head. “No, not exactly,” he replied. “But I’m a servant of the leaders of our church. I have been since I received my calling, and I will be until the day I die.” 

She nodded in understanding before taking a moment to study his profile as he pulled weeds from around the flowers. “Why do I get the feeling that there’s more to you than meets the eye…?” Eden asked, and Omega didn’t know how to answer her question. He sat back on his heels and turned his head in her direction, meeting her gaze and giving her a rueful smile. “Probably because there is, Sister Eden,” he quietly admitted.

Eden contemplated for a moment before she spoke again. “I saw something yesterday during the tour that has me questioning my sanity, Omega. Your friend, he…he looked like he had horns and gray-ish skin, but only for a moment,” she carefully shared with him. “And then he was back to normal.” 

Omega sighed deeply. _Fucking Alpha_. The Fire Ghoul enjoyed briefly dropping his glamour to unsuspecting humans and had made a sport of it over the several hundred years they’d been serving the Emeritus ministry together. He especially enjoyed doing it in houses of worship, and the Quintessence Ghoul couldn’t help but ask himself _why_ he had insisted on visiting this church with Alpha in tow when he knew of the lead guitarist’s proclivity. “I don’t know what to tell you, Eden,” he murmured.

Sister Eden hesitantly reached towards him, and his eyes dropped to where her hand lightly touched his arm; he felt the spark that time. “I only want the truth,” she whispered to Omega. “Please?” 

The Quintessence Ghoul nodded. “Would you mind if we went for a walk?” 

“I wasn’t seeing things, was I?” she cautiously ventured, to which Omega shook his head. “You’re not human, are you…?” Eden trailed off. His eyes moved back to hers; they were wide and imploring. “No,” he confirmed. 

Her hand was still on his arm, and he noted to himself that she hadn’t recoiled in horror at this revelation. “What…what are you, Omega?” 

_So much for not revealing too much too soon_, he thought to himself. The time to rip off the Band-Aid had already arrived, and the Quintessence Ghoul could only hope the truth she sought wouldn’t scare her away. “I’m a ghoul, Eden,” he confided. “A type of demon.” 

Her brows drew together. “But I thought demons were evil…?” Omega smiled softly. “Not all of us, no,” he replied. “Not all demons are evil, and not all ghouls are good. And as much as I hate to admit, even I am capable of horrible things.” His smile dropped as he thought about his third spouse, how she had been murdered for being with him; he had been unable to save her, but had ultimately avenged her death by taking the lives of those who had killed her before he returned to the abbey with their children. The Quintessence Ghoul had literally torn them to shreds, and even hundreds of years later, he was still sometimes haunted by the memories, by their blood on his hands; there wasn’t enough soap in the universe to wash it off. 

Even with his admission, Sister Eden’s hand had not only remained on his arm, but she’d barely even blinked over it. “Do you still want to go for a walk, Omega?” she asked, and he nodded. Both made it back to their feet; Eden dusted off some excess dirt from her skirt, while the Quintessence Ghoul quickly dusted off his knees. They walked down the sidewalk, through the gate, and then continued along the sidewalk that bordered the church grounds. “You’re not afraid of me, Sister Eden?” he queried, and she shook her head as she glanced up at him. “No, not really,” she replied. “Your eyes are gentle and kind, and that’s also the vibe that you put off.” 

His blue eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled softly at her. “Thank you,” Omega said. “That means a lot because I…” He trailed off momentarily as he shifted his gaze to his feet. “…I was hoping we could be friends, and I wanted you to know the truth about me, but didn’t know how to tell you.” 

“But how, Omega?” she asked with her delicate brows knit together. “You live in Sweden, and my life is here.” He grimaced as he recalled there was more for him to reveal, and he hoped it wouldn’t be more than Eden could handle. The Quintessence Ghoul chuckled nervously as he contemplated his response. “Well, that is true, Sister Eden,” he admitted. “But I do know of a way around that.” 

She looked up at him expectantly as she awaited his explanation, and he finally met her gaze again. “As ghouls, we are all born under certain elements, elements that you are likely familiar with: fire—“

“Water, air, and earth,” she interjected, and Omega nodded. “Yes, exactly. But there’s a fifth element whose very existence has been debated for centuries,” he explained. “My element, the Aether, gives me certain powers, Sister Eden.” 

Her eyes widened noticeably as she waited for him to continue. “Like what, Omega?” The Quintessence Ghoul shrugged. “Well, some very useful ones, really,” he responded with another nervous chuckle. “Like, I can heal injuries, for instance. If you were to trip during our walk and break a bone, I could heal you within an hour or two. It especially comes in handy when we’re on tour and one of my bandmates or a crew member gets injured.” 

Eden tilted her head in curiosity. “On tour…?” 

_Fuck_, he thought to himself. His band. He hadn’t yet shared with her that he was a musician, let alone a guitarist in a Satanic rock band that presented itself as a quasi-Satanic theatrical horror rock band. Omega rubbed the back of his neck as he again chuckled nervously. “I’m a guitarist in a rock band,” he started to explain. “We just finished the North America leg of our tour, which is why my friend and I are in town. We decided to extend our trip a few extra days to do some sight-seeing because we really don’t get much time to do it when we’re constantly traveling from one city to the next.” The Quintessence Ghoul realized he was babbling, so he stopped himself. 

“How long have you been playing the guitar, Omega?” Eden asked, and he again didn’t know how to respond. The rhythm guitarist had been topside for nearly eight hundred and twenty years. He was summoned late in the twelfth century, and by the time the first guitars appeared early in the sixteenth century, Omega had already mastered a variety of medieval stringed instruments. “A very long time, Sister Eden,” he replied, and it was then that the Quintessence Ghoul decided to casually give her an answer without prefacing it first to see how she’d react. “Several centuries, really.” 

They walked in silence for several moments; Omega looked down at Eden from the corner of his eye, and she appeared to be deep in thought. He breathed a sigh of relief when she finally spoke. “May I ask how old you are?” she queried as she looked up him. “Yes, you may,” he responded with a smirk as he met her gaze. “But honestly, I don’t know how old I am. Since you already know I’m a ghoul, it probably won’t be too shocking for you to hear that I was summoned from hell, and that occurred almost eight hundred and twenty years ago.” He gave a slight shrug. “So, I’ve been up here quite awhile, but I don’t remember much about hell, or how long I was there before I came topside.”

“I never would’ve guessed, Omega,” she admitted with raised eyebrows. “I mean, that’s right up there with the lifespans of some of the biblical patriarchs.” 

The Quintessence Ghoul softly chuckled. “Except a) I don’t look nearly as old as they probably did when they were my age; and b) I’ll likely live several more centuries,” he added, and Eden whistled under her breath as she focused on the sidewalk before them. “That’s really something, Omega. I…I don’t even know what to say about that.” 

He nodded. “It’s okay, Eden. I’m sure this is all pretty overwhelming, so I understand.” They walked in a comfortable silence for almost half a block. Omega watched Eden out of the corner of his eye as she digested their conversation. She finally looked up at him as they were about to turn the corner onto the road that bordered the north side of the church grounds. “Your powers. You were going to tell me about them before I interrupted,” she asked as her brows again knit together. “I’m sorry, Omega. I ask a lot of questions.” 

The Quintessence Ghoul smiled down at her. “No need to apologize. I appreciate how inquisitive and engaged you are, Eden.” Her cheeks turned pink as the hint of a smile appeared on her face. Omega took a moment to study her features before he continued. “As I was saying, the Aether gives me certain powers, one of which is the ability to teleport.” 

Sister Eden curiously tilted her head. “Like in Star Trek?” The rhythm guitarist huffed out a laugh in response, somewhat surprised that she was familiar with it. “Yes! Well, kind-of,” he began. “Except there’s no Scotty or transporter. I just…do it. I don’t know how to explain it. Do you want me to show you?” 

Her eyes widened. “Yes, but…but how?” Omega thought for a moment before he came up with an idea. “I’ll teleport to the airport in Stockholm, and I’ll buy you something from a gift shop. The receipt will be my proof. How about that?” 

Omega and Eden stopped at a bench that was along the sidewalk, and he asked her to wait for him there. He pulled his phone from his pocket, searched for something, and handed the phone to her. “This is my band. It’s one of our videos. I’m in back between our bassist and keyboardist.” He quickly looked around before flashing her smile. The Quintessence Ghoul then closed his eyes and disappeared. Eden jumped at the suddenness of his departure. She stood up and looked around, but sure enough…he was gone. 

Sister Eden sat back down and started the video. The music began, carnivale-like in nature, and then as the lighting increased, the band and the retro-style set came into view. She located Omega right away, and she wondered which ghoul had been with him yesterday. Eden gasped when their frontman was fully visible, in his mitre and black and green papal attire with upside-down crosses going down the front. She couldn’t tell if he was wearing a mask or if it was face paint, but its skull-style made her feel uneasy. Yet once he started to sing, she couldn’t look away, and when she saw his heterochromatic eyes, she was transfixed. 

Meanwhile, the Quintessence Ghoul had transported himself to a stall in one of the many bathrooms at Stockholm Arlanda Airport; thank Satan that the stall he had in mind was empty. He washed his hands after he left the stall, and then took a left once he left the bathroom. The souvenir shop quickly came into view as Omega walked down the corridor: straight ahead, and to the left. Less than a minute later, he walked into the store, located the postcards, and selected one for Eden. He grabbed his favorite chocolate bar—one for him, and one for Eden—and then walked to the register to pay; he decided to also buy her a small Swedish flag on a stick that he saw on the counter. The cashier put his items in a small bag, gave him the receipt, and he left the store. Omega returned to the bathroom and went to the same stall; he shut his eyes and teleported back to Eden after closing the door. 

The video had just ended. Eden looked down the sidewalk from whence they had come, not realizing that Omega was back and sitting next to her on the bench. “So, what did you think?” he asked with a smirk. The young nun’s head quickly swiveled in his direction, and she put a hand over her heart. “Oh my goodness, you scared me!” she exclaimed with what almost sounded like a giggle. The Quintessence Ghoul apologized with a soft chuckle as he handed her the bag from the gift shop. 

Eden reached inside and started removing the items one by one, starting with the flag, then the postcard, and then the candy bars. “One for you and one for me?” she asked as she handed him one. Omega smirked at her. “Unless you don’t like chocolate,” he quipped. “Then it’s two for me!” She gave him a little smile as she opened her candy bar and bit into it. 

After they had enjoyed their chocolate bars, the Quintessence Ghoul showed her the receipt from the souvenir shop, effectively proving his ability to teleport. And with that, Sister Eden and Omega’s friendship was made official.


	5. The Gardens

_Summer/Fall 2014_

The European leg of Tour Year Zero kept the Quintessence Ghoul occupied from the end of May until early July, but he still managed to visit Eden at least once a week, mainly utilizing the band’s off-days to spend time with his friend that seemed to enchant him more and more each time they saw each other. 

Eden’s church had a farm and living arts center located about an hour outside of the city. She and her sisters were big proponents of sustainable living; the fruits and vegetables they grew in their massive garden were stored to feed them throughout the year, with any excess being donated to the local food pantry. The young sister was passionate about their ability to help the less fortunate and gave Omega a tour during one of his visits; in turn, the rhythm guitarist enlisted a bandmate’s help to ensure the harvest would yield a bumper crop. The drummer, an Earth Ghoul, performed a soil blessing with an herb bundle with the intent to clear the air and appease the plant spirits. Eden suspected that the Quintessence Ghoul had intervened in some way, although he would neither confirm nor deny. Regardless, she was very appreciative and thanked him profusely; because of him, the church was able to help three additional area food pantries. 

The tour went on its scheduled one month hiatus between July and early August, leaving Omega with plenty of time on his hands to visit Eden once his responsibilities at the abbey were fulfilled. The young sister had agreed to provide him with private calligraphy lessons; three times a week for four weeks, Eden and the Quintessence Ghoul would meet in the church’s community room for conversation-filled calligraphy lessons. Despite the obvious differences in the divine beings they served, the nun and the ghoul were able to find a common ground, finding they shared a similar life philosophy, and the two unlikely friends were able to quickly develop a mutual respect and admiration for each other. 

August and September meant a lot of traveling for the Ghost Project as they globetrotted from Japan to Central America to South America and then back to Europe. Tour Year Zero 2014 concluded at the end of September, and the band returned to the abbey to work on their new album. While he spent much of his time in the studio, Omega was still able to visit the young sister as he pleased. He’d been able to open up to Eden in a way that he hadn’t been able to with anybody in a very long time. There was an undeniable spark between them; rather, it was undeniable to the Quintessence Ghoul, while the pretty nun simply didn’t know any better. She was completely and utterly inexperienced in matters of the heart and was clueless to the handsome ghoul falling in love with her before her very eyes. 

It wasn’t that Eden didn’t have feelings for Omega; she did, but she was unaware since she had never experienced love in a _romantic_ sense before. It was a confusing time for the young sister as she experienced its pangs for the very first time, although the young nun was unable to put a label on what she felt. Eden had strongly considered asking the Quintessence Ghoul to limit his visits in an effort to give herself time to sort things out, but every time she saw him, she couldn’t bring herself to do it because she enjoyed his company so much. The stress and conflict that was wrought upon her by the situation exacerbated the insomnia she suffered from periodically, and she oftentimes spent these additional hours in the chapel, where she prayed to God for guidance and clarity. 

_Spring 2015_

Springtime at the abbey was a sight to behold. Omega had spent all winter telling Sister Eden about it; fall might’ve been his favorite season, but spring came in a close second. He was pleasantly surprised when the young sister had accepted his invitation to teleport to the abbey for a tour of not only the magnificent gothic structure, but also of its beautifully cultivated grounds. If the abbey wasn’t such a closely guarded secret amongst its inhabitants, the ornamental gardens would surely be world-famous for their splendor. 

The inauguration of Papa Emeritus the Third was only days away; preparations were in full swing, and the abbey bustled with even more life than normal. It perhaps wasn’t the best time for Eden to visit, but the incoming Papa insisted upon it when the Quintessence Ghoul had asked for his permission to bring in an outsider. The rhythm guitarist and the youngest Emeritus brother, Vincenzo, had been close since the latter’s childhood as Omega had been his favorite ghoul at the abbey and continued to be so to present day. Demon blood flowed through the veins of those in the Emeritus lineage, giving them lifetimes that far surpassed those of humans but not those of the ghouls that served them.   
Vincenzo would soon earn his skull facial markings, variations of which adorned the faces of his father and two older brothers through a process that none of them really understood; a Latin incantation was recited during the inauguration by the outgoing Papa, and the markings somehow appeared as if by the will of Satan or some sort of dark magic, faintly at first, and then darkening as the congregation joined the chant. Nobody would know what his skull markings would look like until they materialized, although they were predetermined at his conception. 

The youngest Emeritus was a charming and handsome man, immensely popular with Siblings of Sin and ghouls alike, unlike his dear _fratello_, Papa Emeritus the Second, who was thought to be cold, distant, and a definite acquired taste to most at the abbey; to those who knew him best, he was much the same, though they knew he hadn’t always been this way. Long before his days as the leader of a Satanic church and the frontman of the Ghost Project, he had spent many years away from the abbey at various chapters of the Emeritus ministry around the world; when he returned home, he was a changed man, and nobody knew why, nor would he discuss the matter. 

Omega had served many generations of the Emeritus family and would serve many more. He was their ever-faithful servant as they spread the word of Satan, and he had been their first recruit when the Ghost Project was conceived, with Alpha following soon after. The Quintessence Ghoul had frequently spoken to Vincenzo and the middle Emeritus brother about Eden, so it was no surprise to either when he requested permission for her to visit the abbey. Both were intrigued by this creature of God that had so beguiled their beloved Aether Ghoul and were eager to meet her. Vincenzo had even gone so far as to help Omega plan her visit and was the first to meet her acquaintance upon her arrival. 

The soon-to-be Papa hadn’t planned to join the Quintessence Ghoul and Eden for the tour, but ultimately decided to conduct most of it himself. It was his family’s ministry, after all, and he would become its figurehead in mere days. Vincenzo proudly showed off the abbey to the young sister and answered the many questions that she asked. While they were out in the gardens, the trio crossed paths with Papa Emeritus the Second, who was taking his daily stroll, and Alpha, who happened to join him on this day. The young sister was mesmerized by the Emeritus men and their heterochromatic eyes, and even though Vincenzo had given her a brief warning about his older brother as the outgoing Papa walked towards them, she found him to be anything but the “cold bastard” he’d been described as. In the short time he spent with her before his younger brother whisked her away to show her the labyrinth, he was captivated by her and asked Omega to stay behind for a few moments before catching up to Eden and the incoming Papa. 

“She’s a lovely young lady, Quintessence,” Papa Emeritus the Second began as he, the rhythm guitarist, and Alpha watched Vincenzo and the young sister meander down the pathway. “She reminds me of someone I cared for long ago.” 

Before Omega could respond, the puckish Fire Ghoul chimed in. “You actually cared for somebody other than yourself, Papa?” The Quintessence Ghoul huffed out an incredulous laugh at the lead guitarist’s audacity, while the other man glared at his ghoul for several moments before he finally responded. “Yes, Alpha,” he replied with the hint of a smirk. “At one point in time. Shocking, I know.” 

_Summer/Fall 2015_

The Ghost Project began its new era under Papa Emeritus the Third in early June, and the band performed at a few festivals over the summer with a brief promo tour in support of the release of their third album in August, followed by a larger tour the following month. It was over the summer months though that Omega discovered that he was able to read Eden’s mind. He was generally able to pick up on the energies that fed off of others, which was both a pro and a con to being an Aether Ghoul. But in certain cases, the Quintessence Ghoul was able to read thoughts; most commonly it was with those he was closest to. He’d been able to read the minds of each of his spouses and a handful of others, including that of Vincenzo Emeritus (although as a demon himself, he was able to block it most of the time). 

Being the good and honest ghoul that he was, Omega was quick to share his revelation with Eden. He did his best to stay out of her mind, but it was difficult at times when her thoughts were almost as loud in his head as his own. This was how the Quintessence Ghoul discovered the feelings that the young sister harbored for him; unfamiliar and as of yet, unreconciled for Eden, but it was unquestionably love to the rhythm guitarist. He kept that discovery to himself, however, as they continued to spend time together. 

While Omega hated that he was the source of so much inner turmoil for the pretty nun, he was otherwise elated to find that their feelings were mutual, and he hoped that—if he played his cards right—she would leave her church to start a life with him. He was patient and committed to giving her as much time as she needed to reconcile the feelings that were incompatible with her current life. The Quintessence Ghoul’s patience faltered, however, during a late August visit. 

Omega was in town with Papa Emeritus the Third and Alpha for a promotional appearance and acoustic set at a local record store, the last of five in a mini-tour that took the trio from the west coast to the east coast. The following day, he dropped by Eden’s church with Vincenzo and the lead guitarist in tow as the former wanted to pay the lovely young nun a visit since they were in the area. The new Papa utilized his glamour to cover the skull markings on his face in an effort not to alarm those at the church who were not familiar with his true nature…which was everybody but Eden. 

The young nun repaid the kindness he had shown her at the abbey by providing a tour of her own of the church in which she’d spent almost her entire life while Omega and Alpha followed at a distance. The lead guitarist recalled how they had met Eden a little more than a year prior, how he had proposed that they see who could claim her virginity first. The Quintessence Ghoul chuckled nervously as the Fire Ghoul reminisced over some of their past sexual conquests, a conversation that Omega was mortified to find that Eden had partially overheard. 

His heart dropped when he saw the look on her face, and even more so when she quickly excused herself and started walking towards the north transept. He gave Alpha a brief scowl before he hurriedly followed after the young nun, catching up to her before she was able to reach the exit. What followed was a heated exchange conducted in low voices as not to attract any attention of the other sisters and handful of parishioners that were spread out in the nave. Vincenzo and his lead guitarist watched as the rhythm guitarist suddenly grabbed Eden’s shoulders and pressed his lips against hers. It was short-lived, however, as she wrenched herself from his grasp and ran out the door. 

The Quintessence Ghoul again took off in pursuit, finding Eden a few meters ahead, crumpled up on the floor of the cloister and holding her ankle; he immediately felt even more horrible than he already did. Despite her protestations, he helped her up and teleported the young nun to her room so they could have some privacy. She allowed him to use his powers to heal her injury, but glared at him the entire time. There was so much he wanted to say, but instead kept silent out of fear that he’d only make the situation worse with how angry she was at him.

The only words spoken by either over the course of that hour was the quiet apology that he uttered before he disappeared.


	6. The Ritual

_Early September, 2015_

Omega was grateful to be in Eden’s company again, despite the fact that they weren’t alone. He sat in the church’s community room with nearly a dozen other people who had signed up for the young sister’s calligraphy class, while she strolled from table to table to answer questions; the Quintessence Ghoul was reminded that he had a question of his own to ask Eden, but it would have to wait until after the class had ended for the night.

After everybody had left, Omega helped the pretty nun clean up. As he handed her the dip pens that he’d collected from the tables, he licked his lips as he looked down at her. “Eden?” he said softly, and she tilted her head back a bit in order to look up at him. “Yes, Omega?”

The Quintessence Ghoul nervously ran his fingers through his hair. “Um, well, you know that we’re going to be back in town in a few weeks, and I was wondering if you’d like to come to the show.” Eden’s eyes widened, and it was a few seconds before she responded. “I’ve…I’ve never been to a concert before, so I…” The young nun trailed off as she looked away. “It’s okay, Eden,” he murmured to her. “You don’t have to. I just thought you’d maybe like to see me and Papa perform, but if—“

“I want to, Omega,” she interjected. “I…I just don’t know what to wear, and I don’t have any money for a ticket.” The corners of the Quintessence Ghoul’s mouth lifted into a smile, and he softly chuckled. “I’ll take care of the ticket, min älskling,” he replied. “Don’t worry about that. As for what to wear, you’ll fit in just fine if you wear your habit.”

_September 27, 2015_

Eden sat alone on a sofa in an empty dressing room, waiting for Omega to return. Even backstage behind closed doors, the venue was still fairly noisy as the psychedelic sounds of the opening act, Purson, filled the air. The young nun was in their room since they were currently onstage, and the other rooms were occupied by Papa and the ghouls. Their street clothes and bags were strewn across the room, and Eden strongly considered tidying up the space to keep herself occupied until the Quintessence Ghoul came back for her. As it was, she sat there and nervously picked at the little bit of lint on the skirt of her habit. She’d never been to a concert before; the closest thing she had for reference was a trip to see the orchestra with a few of the other sisters many years ago.

The door finally swung open, and Eden was quick to her feet; her eyes widened when she saw Omega. He was fully dressed in his stage costume, including the mask. Her heart rate quickened as she took him in, admiring the fit of his jacket and pants, and how his outfit was complemented by the spats on his shoes. She’d never seen him in person with his mask on before, only previously seeing videos and concert footage of him in his masks from previous eras. Eden could see his blue eyes gazing back at her, and her cheeks turned pink before their eyes had even met.

He still stood in the doorway, like both of them were frozen in place, and the Quintessence Ghoul softly chuckled when his mind finally caught up to the moment. He stepped into the room, closed the door behind him, and then closed the gap between them; he stopped when only a foot or so separated him from the young sister. “So…” Omega said as he held his arms out. “What do you think?” He smiled behind his mask at the thoughts going through Eden’s mind; she definitely approved. “You look…” she began, pausing for a moment before continuing. “…quite handsome, really.” Her blush intensified at the admission. “Even more than usual?” the Quintessence Ghoul joked with a soft chuckle. She rolled her eyes and tried not to smile, although he was able to see the faintest hint of one.

They stood before each other for several moments in silence before Eden hesitantly ran her fingers over his mask where his lips would be. He knew exactly what she wanted. “Do you want to kiss me?” he murmured to her, and she wordlessly nodded. Omega carefully removed his mask and set it on the end table next to the sofa. He licked his lips as he gazed down at Eden, and then slowly dipped his head.

She closed her eyes and soon felt the Quintessence Ghoul’s lips brush against hers. As with their first kiss, he knew every kiss could be their last; he always made sure to take it slow and not push Eden’s boundaries any further despite the fact that he longed for more. She wrapped her arms around his neck as the kiss continued, and her fingers toyed with the edge of his collar. Omega could feel his dick twitching in need; he reluctantly pulled away from Eden. “Is everything okay?” she whispered, still a bit self-conscious about her kissing skills. The corners of his mouth lifted into a soft smile as his hands moved from her waist to the sides of her face. “Yes,” he murmured before he softly kissed her nose, one cheek, then the other, and then her forehead. “You’re so beautiful, min älskling.”

They moved to the sofa and sat down for a few minutes. Omega had arranged for a crewmember to take the young sister to her spot on the barrier, directly in front of his area of the stage, at the conclusion of the opening act’s set. He assured her again that she was dressed appropriately for the ritual, that there would likely be other women in the audience dressed in similar—albeit more suggestive—outfits. She’d left her veil at the convent, instead putting her hair into a loose bun at the nape of her neck. A few tendrils of strawberry-blonde hair framed her face, and the Quintessence Ghoul thought she looked as lovely as ever.

There was a knock on the door moments after Purson’s set had ended, and Omega took her by the hand and led her to the door after grabbing his mask. He introduced her to the crewmember, a young gentleman that was likely around her age, before he kissed her lightly on the forehead, and she was escorted away from the rhythm guitarist. The man explained as they walked that he would come and get her between the final song and the encore, and that she could watch the encore from the side of the stage. He asked about the nature of her relationship with the Quintessence Ghoul, explaining quickly that he had never seen Omega do anything like this previously, before Eden told him they were just friends. “Call it what you want, sweetheart,” he said with a chuckle, “There’s a great number of female fans who would die to be _just friends_ with Omega.” She didn’t respond.

He continued to talk, telling her that tonight’s show was sold out, and that this leg of the tour had kicked off less than a week before, which Eden already knew. They reached the barrier, and he led her through the tightly packed audience, clearing a small spot for her and earning a few glares in the process. He reminded her of when he would return before hopping over the barrier and walking by the security guards in front of the stage. The young sister was nervous, being all alone around so many people that she didn’t know in a setting she’d never been in before, but she was quickly put to ease when a few women in her area started talking to her, beginning the conversation by complimenting her on her choice of outfit. She decided it best not to explain that she was actually a nun, or that she was there for Omega.

Her eyes scanned the venue, with its high ceiling and two tiers of balconies that wrapped around the sides and back of the structure. A panel of faux stained glass windows decorated the back of the stage, giving it the feeling that she was about to witness a Satanic church service, and a raised platform housed the drums and the keyboard with a few stairs running down the middle. The place was absolutely packed with fans in various outfits; several wore Ghost t-shirts, while others were dressed as Sisters of Sin or like one of the bandmembers. She didn’t feel as out of place as she had feared she would.

A song played overhead, and one of the women next to her explained that the show would soon be starting. The lights went out, and excitement rippled through the crowd. Red lights then illuminated the stage as another song played, a composition that included liturgical chants of some sort that Eden could not identify. The stage went dark briefly at its conclusion before green lights shone from behind the stained glass windows. Futuristic-sounding music filled the air, and a spotlight appeared moments later at stage left as a guitarist she knew to be Alpha really got the song started. Other bandmembers appeared one by one, and almost out of nowhere from stage right, Omega suddenly stood above her. Papa Emeritus the Third emerged from between the drums and keyboard shortly after.

Eden’s eyes were filled with awe and wonder as she watched the Quintessence Ghoul perform. She followed his movements around the stage as the ritual continued, and their eyes met several times throughout. For the first half of the ritual, she’d shyly look away anytime Omega would wink at her, but as the night progressed, their eye contact grew more prolonged and progressively intense; Eden was mesmerized, and she couldn’t look away. The young sister was seeing him in a whole new light, and it made it difficult for her to deny her increasingly complex feelings for the rhythm guitarist.

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Their interactions didn’t go unnoticed by one of the ladies that she had spoken with before the concert. “Honey, he is fucking you with his eyes,” she said in Eden’s ear, loud enough to be heard over the music; Eden didn’t know how to respond. The other woman continued. “You should try to meet him after the show.” The young sister leaned towards her. “And do what…?” Eden shrugged innocently, earning a laugh from the other woman. “And fuck him!” she exclaimed. “Because if you don’t, somebody else will try…” The nun’s delicate brows knit together, and she nodded.

Eden tried to push the thoughts from her mind; even though Omega was obviously occupied onstage, he could still hear her thoughts, and she didn’t want to distract him. She couldn’t, however, completely shake the notion of being intimate with the handsome rhythm guitarist. As much as she tried to deny it, she loved the feeling of his lips against hers, how her hand felt in his, and was curious to try more. The young sister had never felt so conflicted; yet as she thought about it, the more and more she was certain that she wanted him to make love to her.

Unbeknownst to the Eden, Omega’s ability to hear her thoughts was a little more complicated with so many people around; while he couldn’t hear their thoughts as he could Eden’s, he picked up on their energies, and it sounded like some weird kind of static. As a result, her thoughts would come to him at times sounding like a radio station with poor connection, although one thought came through crystal clear: that she wanted him to make love to her. “Holy fuck,” he whispered to himself, getting so distracted for a moment that he came dangerously close to missing his notes at the beginning of “Absolution”. It earned a sharp look across the stage from Alpha, and Omega shrugged in response.

The Quintessence Ghoul wanted nothing more than to whisk Eden away to a more private setting where they could be alone, but the band still had four songs remaining, plus the encore. What usually went by in a flash suddenly felt like an eternity, and every look they shared for the rest of the ritual was filled with the longing that they both felt for each other. 


	7. The Awakening

_September 27, 2015, post-ritual_

She allowed him to pull her into his arms, and after some shifting around, they laid together on her bed. Omega thought to himself how much more comfortable his bed at the abbey was; evidently, an oath of poverty also meant sleeping in discomfort for the rest of your life. He cleared those thoughts from his mind as he focused on Eden and how perfect she felt against him, how divine it felt to hold her. The Quintessence Ghoul had dropped his glamour at her request, and although she had seen him as such before, she was still in awe of his ghoulish features. After a long while of studying his face—the black horns that emerged from his hairline, slightly curved with a tapered end; his slightly elongated ears with a pointed tip; his sharp teeth; the grey skin that darkened in hue as it went down his neck—she laid her head on his chest and listened to the strong and steady beat of his heart.

After a few minutes of a comfortable silence, she lifted her head and looked up at him. “What will it feel like?” she whispered as her cheeks once again burned. Omega sighed as he contemplated his response. “Well, for me, it’ll feel amazing,” he murmured with a slight smirk. “But for you, it will likely hurt a bit at first, but that’ll go away once you’re acclimated to me, and then it should feel good. _Really_ good, Eden.” They gazed at each other for several moments until she shyly looked away.

The Quintessence Ghoul took her chin between his thumb and pointer finger. “Hey, look at me…” he whispered to her, and Eden’s green eyes returned to his. “We’ll take it slow, okay?” Omega’s thumb moved upwards, and he ran it over her bottom lip. “However slow you need, min älskling.” His blue orbs moved between her eyes and her lips, and he watched as she kissed the pad of his thumb; he hummed in approval. “May I kiss you?” he quietly asked. Her eyes widened, but she quickly nodded. He lifted his head, and she craned her neck; their lips met. The Quintessence Ghoul kissed her softly, gently at first, but took the opportunity to deepen the kiss; he was pleasantly surprised when Eden didn’t pull away.

He shifted their positioning as the kiss continued, slowly rolling over onto the young nun, and her back was soon against the mattress with him on top while his spade-tipped tail swished behind him. “What do you want, Eden?” he breathlessly asked. “Do you…do you want me to touch you?” She eagerly nodded, but before he proceeded, he needed her to say the words. “Tell me what you want, min älskling,” he murmured as he brushed his lips against her cheekbone. “Please…I want you to touch me, Omega,” she requested in a small voice that went straight to the Quintessence Ghoul’s loins; Eden’s verbalization of her desire for him served as fuel to his own.

A soft moan escaped his lips as they kissed once more, and he resisted the urge to allow his long, black, forked tongue to plunge into her mouth; Omega was committed to taking this as slow as necessary for her sake. He shifted slightly during the kiss to give himself more access to her body so that he was on his side next to her, and he placed his hand on her covered abdomen. Eden had taken a bath and changed into her white cotton nightgown before the Quintessence Ghoul had returned. It was the first time he had gotten a good look at her choice of pajamas as the frock was typically covered by her robe when they saw each other at night; aside from a slight bit of detailing on her upper chest, the buttons that ran between her breasts to her upper abdomen, and the ruffles around her wrists and the bottom, it was quite plain and completely unlike the skimpy white cotton nightgowns worn by the Sisters of Sin back at the abbey. Yet it suited her, and its simplicity and understated sexiness reminded Omega of the nightgowns worn by his third and fourth spouses. Still, he looked forward to seeing what was hidden beneath and even more so to touching it.

His hand inched upward and soon cupped her left breast. The Quintessence Ghoul paused long enough for her to relax into his touch when he felt her body tense before he proceeded. Eden moaned into his mouth when he ran his thumb over her nipple once, then twice, and he felt it stiffen in response. She broke the kiss when she turned her head slightly and arched her back into his hand after it had moved to cover her entire breast. He gently groped at her, feeling her nipple harden even more under his palm.

Omega continued to knead at her breast, and he could feel his own arousal coursing through his body; his cock was well passed half-erect at this point from the sounds Eden had been making. A little moan here, a little whimper there…it was more than he could take, and she hadn’t even touched him yet.

“Do you like this…?” he whispered to her, already knowing the answer from the fireworks going off in her mind, and she nodded. “Is it okay if I unbutton your nightgown?” the Quintessence Ghoul murmured, deciding to push her boundaries a little, just a _little_, and he wasn’t disappointed when she nodded again. He single-handedly undid the buttons, his fingers working quickly along the five that ran from just below her neck to her upper abdomen. Their eyes locked when he slowly peeled back the fabric to expose her breast. She had never been so exposed to anybody’s eyes before, and a flush again crept up her chest and neck.

He lowered his head and flicked her taut nub with the tip of his forked tongue without breaking eye contact, and she gasped his name at the sensation. Omega repeated once, twice, and then he swirled his tongue around her nipple before taking it into his mouth. Eden’s eyes widened, and she moaned softly. Tentatively, her right hand made it to the back of his head as she clutched him against her chest. His cock twitched, and a low growl rumbled in the Quintessence Ghoul’s chest.

Omega worked to expose her other breast, and he alternated between the two. His hand drifted downwards, and he palmed himself through his pajama pants. He was completely hard by now, and a wet spot had formed where some pre-cum had seeped through the fabric. The Quintessence Ghoul repeatedly ran his hand along his erection as he continued to suckle. He stopped when he felt himself getting too close, and his hand moved to the bottom hem of Eden’s nightgown. He slowly pushed it upwards, first exposing her shins, then her knees, then her thighs, and finally, her white cotton panties. Gently nudging her thighs apart to give himself access, he began to lightly run his fingers over her covered mound.

A jolt went through Eden the first time he touched her still-covered clit, a completely foreign feeling to her. It was all foreign, admittedly; each sensation she experienced with Omega was new to her, and although she was still at odds with herself, she wanted more. She surprised the Quintessence Ghoul by putting her hand over his and guiding it lower. He could feel the heat radiating from her core, and it made his dick throb. “Oh, Eden…” he moaned as he rubbed her through her panties. She tentatively cupped his cheek, guiding his face back to hers for a kiss.

She surprised him again several moments later when she broke the kiss and slid off the bed. He watched with wide eyes and a slack jaw as the nun slowly removed her nightgown, and then her panties. Eden’s first instinct was to cover herself, and she initially made an attempt to cover her breasts with one of her arms. She soon dropped the arm and shyly— but confidently— stood before him. The demure look she gave him was more than he could handle, and it took every ounce of restraint in him to not claim her right there and then.

Omega got on his knees, still on the bed, and removed his shirt, tossing it to the floor. He followed that by pushing his pajama pants off his hips and then down his thighs, and he slipped out of them before they joined his shirt on the floor. Eden’s eyes widened at the sight of his cock; she had never seen one before, and his above-average length and substantial girth were certainly not representative of the greater majority of the male population, although she didn’t know that at the time. She bit her bottom lip, eyeing it curiously, and the Quintessence Ghoul knew exactly what she wanted. “You can touch me, Eden,” he murmured with a soft smile. “It’s more than okay.”

He moved closer to the side of the bed, as did she, and she tentatively reached her hand out. Omega took her hand in his, and he hissed through clenched teeth when he wrapped their hands around his erection. He struggled to keep his composure at her touch; he’d been wanting this so bad for so long, and he never thought it would come to fruition. The Quintessence Ghoul wanted to do so many things with Eden, yet he knew he’d have to continue to be patient and slowly introduce things to her, if he was fortunate enough to experience intimacy with her more than just this one time. He longed to taste her, to bury his face between her legs and drink from her; for her to wrap her lips around his cock and take him in her mouth; to fuck her in a countless number of positions; to do so, _so _many things with the gorgeous creature before him.

His hand was still over hers, but only as a guide as she slowly stroked his length. Omega’s head lolled back as he enjoyed her gentle but firm grip. “Eden…” he moaned. “You’re so good at this, min älskling.” He looked at her just in time to catch a hint of a smile on her full lips. As she continued, he could again feel himself approaching his end. “Did I do something wrong…?” she asked with concern etched on her delicate features when he stopped her, and he chuckled softly as he took her face in his hands. “No, no…not at all,” he murmured to her. “You were perfect. You _are_ perfect.” The Quintessence Ghoul pressed his lips against hers for several moments before breaking the kiss.

Omega moved back a bit and returned to his previous position on his side. He patted the space next to him, and she was soon on her back next to him again. He cupped her cheek before he dragged his fingers down her neck, to her upper chest, between her breasts, and down her abdomen to her mound. Eden’s thighs parted to give him access, and his fingers carefully dipped between her lower lips and swiped through her wet heat. Her breathing hitched when he touched her clit, circling his fingertips around the sensitive nub.

In her mind, Eden begged him to make love to her, wanting so badly to quench the ache that radiated from her core. “Let me get you ready for me first, Eden,” he whispered to her, and she gasped when he slid a glamoured finger into her entrance. She was so tight, and it was going to be such a snug fit for his cock; pre-cum seeped from his slit at the thought. He added an additional finger as he slowly fucked her with his thick digits. The Quintessence Ghoul covered her mouth with his, swallowing her moans. He reveled in her head-to-toe exquisiteness, and he wondered to himself how God had managed to create such a perfect creature.

She cried out when he added a third finger, writhing as his digits moved in and out of her, and it wasn’t long before she couldn’t take it anymore. “Please, Omega, _please_ make love to me!” she begged, and he proceeded to extract his fingers from her. The Quintessence Ghoul’s need to be inside of her was overwhelming, but first, he brought his digits to his nose and inhaled before he licked them clean, one by one, savoring her essence. Afterwards, he recited a few lines from one of his favorite books as he gently positioned himself on top of Eden, between her parted thighs. “Those ancients who in poetry presented the golden age, who sang its happy state, perhaps, in their Parnassus, dreamt this place. Here, mankind's root was innocent; and here were every fruit and never-ending spring; these streams--the nectar of which poets sing.”

“Dante…?” Eden asked with a quizzical look, and Omega responded with a soft chuckle. “Very good, min älskling,” he murmured to her as he wrapped his hand around the base of his cock and guided it to her entrance. “Are you ready?”

She hesitated for a moment, still fighting an inner battle, but her desire for the Quintessence Ghoul was too strong to be denied. Eden would deal with any repercussions from her actions on a different day; for now, the young sister opted to let go and give herself to Omega. With that, she signaled that she was ready with a nod, and he proceeded to slowly push himself inside of her.

Eden keened as she threw her arms around him and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He slid his own arms under her, lacing them behind her neck as he shook from the effort it took to move at this pace and not just slam himself inside of her cunt. Once he was fully seated within her, she continued to cling to him. He fought to catch his own breath and also against the urge to cum right there and then; her virginal walls slowly stretched to accommodate him, but it was still a very tight fit. The Quintessence Ghoul gave a few shallow thrusts to test things out before proceeding. He felt Eden’s short nails dig into his back as he started to move at a slow and steady pace. She whimpered into his grey skin, and he continued to fight his natural urges, knowing that she was in no way ready for that.

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Omega marveled at the divine being below him, how amazing she felt, how well she was taking him. He could lose himself in her tight, wet heat just as easily as he could lose himself in her. The sounds she made spurred him on as he proceeded to make love to the young nun. “Let me see you, Eden,” he breathlessly whispered to her, and she slowly removed her face from his neck as her head settled against the pillow. The Quintessence Ghoul smiled lovingly as he gazed upon her. Eden’s skin was flushed with a thin sheen of sweat; a few strands of hair stuck to her forehead. “You have no idea how beautiful you are,” he murmured to her, and she responded by pulling him down for a surprisingly heated kiss. He didn’t mind, of course; he was caught off guard only for a moment by its intensity before he recovered and returned the kiss with the same fervor.

Eden surprised him yet again when she wrapped her legs around his hips, crossed her ankles just above base of his tail, and whispered in his ear. “Harder…” The Quintessence Ghoul pulled away enough to look down at her. “Are you sure, min älskling?” The look in her eyes was all the answer he needed; she did not otherwise respond. He gradually increased the pace of his thrusts, and before too long, he was fucking her with the reckless abandon he’d previously struggled to fight off. His tail whipped wildly behind him; her moans were like music to his ears, and he was quickly losing himself in Eden the way he knew he would.

Omega was confounded yet again when the young sister managed to roll them over so that she was on top riding him. His hands gripped her hips, although he was careful for his claws to not break her flawless skin, as her hands settled on his stomach. Eden swiftly rolled her hips against him; an orgasm had started to build from within, and she was now chasing this feeling that was so foreign to her. As the pressure in her lower abdomen accumulated, she also felt an inexplicable sensation in her left eye. It was uncomfortable, though not quite painful.

The Quintessence Ghoul bent his knees and planted his feet against the mattress before he took over; he began thrusting upwards into her, pushing her closer and closer to the brink. His tail dragged its way down her body, the spaded tip teasing her nipples before continuing down her torso, and then over her mound to her clit. Eden gasped as it made contact and her eyes rolled to the back of her head as the pleasure radiated throughout her body.

He continued to ram himself into her, and he could feel her walls spasming around him, first intermittently, then more frequently as her climax approached. His eyes roamed down her body; her upper chest was still flushed, and the thin sheen of perspiration was now illuminated by the candlelight. The storm outside had passed but continued to rumble in the distance, and a cool breeze still filled the room. Omega, however, could feel Eden’s inner storm not only returning, but growing in strength and threatening to come unleashed as her end grew nigh.

And then, it happened: her eyes grew wide as her crest overtook her body. The Quintessence Ghoul was quick to follow, her walls clenching his cock proving to be too much for him to handle. He continued to fuck her, and Eden cried out his name as her orgasm hit her in waves. She panicked, however, when the sensation returned to her eye. Again, it wasn’t painful, but the discomfort was unbearable.

Eden scrambled her way off of Omega and then off the bed. She bolted towards the door, throwing it open before running down the hall to the bathroom she share with the other sisters that had their rooms on this floor. She closed and locked the door before turning around and pressing her back against it.

Behind her, the Quintessence Ghoul had quickly thrown his pajama pants on and grabbed her nightgown before following her out the door with his glamour back in place. Within seconds, Eden could hear Omega’s muffled voice from the other side. She squeezed her eyes shut as she slid to the floor. One thought was constant in her mind, and it was that something was wrong with her. “What do you mean, Eden?” the Quintessence Ghoul queried as he read her mind. “What’s wrong?”

“Leave me alone, Omega!” she pleaded as she hugged her knees to her chest and began to sob. “Please just go away!” He knew he could just teleport to the other side of the door, but it seemed like such an invasion and he didn’t want to do that to Eden. She was clearly distraught, and as much as he wanted to comfort her, he respected her boundaries. That changed, however, a few minutes later when he heard her scream. “No, no, noooooooooo!” she wailed. Omega closed his eyes and found himself standing behind Eden when he opened them again.

She stood in front of the sink, looking at her own reflection in the mirror above it. He immediately noticed the change in her appearance, the source of her strife: the iris of her left eye was no longer green: it was now an icy blue-ish white. Eden sobbed as she struggled to put the pieces of the puzzle together in her head.

“Eden, your eye looks like…” he trailed off as her now mismatched eyes met his in the mirror. The puzzle pieces fell into place, and her hand flew over her mouth as they both came to the realization that she wasn’t at all who or what she thought she was.

Something dormant had been awakened, and life would never be the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming soon...
> 
> Omega and the Garden of Eden: Eden Unleashed
> 
> ***
> 
> Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy  
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/garden-of-eden?page=1


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